Shocking info about electric systems

September 09, 2006

Grandma's kitchen was nothing like yours. She didn't have an automatic dishwasher, a compactor, a disposal, a blender, an electric mixer, undercounter and in-cabinet lighting, or a juicer. If Grandma had anything that was electric, it was probably a refrigerator and a range. In those days, a home's electrical system was a modest 60 amps in size, a tiny system by today's standards. Subdivision homes now come standard with 100- and 125-amp services. And custom homes have services that range in size from 200 to more than 400 amps. The more amperage, the more power available to run several appliances simultaneously -- and safely. If you have an older home and decide to do a remodel, your local building department will probably require you to upgrade your electric service to at least 100 amps. The idea is to ensure that you have enough power in your home to serve all the modern conveniences without causing a fire. Too many appliances on too few circuits can have serious consequences. When the wire in an old circuit is overloaded, it heats up. That's when a fuse blows or a breaker trips. When a breaker continually trips, don't replace it. Find out why it's tripping. An electrician can easily find every outlet or light on a given circuit. Once it is known what the circuit is powering, a simple calculation can determine what is overloading it. Breakers trip for other reasons, but overload is the biggest single cause. If the circuit is not overloaded, then the electrician will check for shorts, bad fixtures and faulty outlets. It is important to be aware that your electrical system is trying to tell you something when fuses blow and breakers trip: "Help, I'm being overworked!" Another problem occurs when a circuit is continually overloaded. Each time the wiring heats up, it fatigues. As fatigue continues, the wire becomes brittle and it cracks. And a small crack is all it takes for arcing to occur. A wire arcing within a wall cavity is like pointing a blowtorch at a barrel of gasoline. A fire is imminent. Essentially, the electrical system in your home is nothing more than a bunch of extension cords tied together within the walls and ceilings. The electric code specifies which materials are allowed to be used and how they can be safely connected. Breakers are nothing more than reusable fuses. When the circuit overheats, the breaker trips, or disengages, and interrupts power to the circuit. When the wiring cools down, the breaker can be reset to the "on" position. The breakers are contained in metal housings known as breaker panels. The main panel always contains at least one breaker, the one that turns everything off. The subpanel is wired to the main panel and contains the breakers that fuse each circuit in the home. When a circuit gets overloaded, it doesn't shut down power to the entire house but only to the items connected to that circuit. Also, determining the reason for the overload is quicker and easier when only a few outlets are connected to a given circuit. In some instances, there is no subpanel. In these cases, all the breakers are contained in the main panel. When the main panel also houses all the circuit breakers, it is known as a "combo" (combination main and subpanel). Small panels such as those mounted near air conditioners and heat pumps contain individual fuses dedicated only to the specific appliance. If you plan on a kitchen remodel, prepare for some big- time electrical upgrades. The kitchen uses more electrical power than any room in the home. Today, you must provide a dedicated circuit to every built-in appliance in the kitchen. Disposal, dishwasher, instant hot water dispenser, compactor, microwave, you name it. If it is to be built in, it must have its own circuit. A dedicated circuit is one where a single appliance is wired to a single breaker. The circuit is "dedicated" to that appliance. Nothing else can be connected to a dedicated circuit except the appliance for which it is intended. If you have a countertop microwave or a freestanding dishwasher and intend to build them in, then plan on adding two new, dedicated circuits -- one for each. Cheaping out on the electrical system in a kitchen is a serious mistake. If you are selling your home, a prospective buyer carefully studies two areas of your house before making that all-important decision to plunk down a deposit: The master suite is one, and the kitchen is the other. ON THE HOUSE JAMES AND MORRIS CAREY